Whiplash is one of the most frustrating injuries one can sustain. It can limit one’s range of motion, and it can severely affect one’s ability to sleep.
If you are suffering from whiplash, then it’s important that you follow the advice of your doctor. It is likely that they will have prescribed you strong pain killers, and given you a new routine, which incorporates physiotherapy, to help you get back on your feet. But a doctor’s words can only go so far, so here’s our best ways to help with whiplash:
Get plenty of rest
Whiplash can take a few weeks to heal, or several months. And sometimes, the pain can last a lifetime, if there’s spinal damage as well. The reason whiplash can take so long to heal, is because you will have likely sustained damage to your tendons and ligaments. These receive a lot less blood flow than muscles, so they heal slower.
The best thing you can do to recover from your injuries is to get plenty of rest, and if that means being bed bound for a few weeks, then so be it. Your body will heal itself as best it can – and you run the risk of aggravating your injuries if you go overboard. Because of this, we recommend taking it easy over the next few weeks.
Seek out compensation
If your whiplash has left you unable to work or if you are struggling to cope, then you do have the legal right to make a claim for compensation, if the accident in which you sustained your injuries was not 100 per cent your fault.
The average payout for whiplash that’s given a grade 2 rating (moderate whiplash) is between £4,000 and £9,000, while grade 3 whiplash can result in a payout that exceeds £15,000. The basic rule with compensation is that you can make a claim if you meet liability criteria and time-based criteria; you only have three years to bring your claim forward, after which you won’t be able to under the Limitation Act 1980.
Find a hobby to keep you occupied
During your recovery period, it is a good idea to keep your mind occupied. There are a wide range of activities you can partake in which won’t stress your neck. Chess, painting on an even keel and walking should not cause you any pain, so long as you have not sustained grade 3 or 4 whiplash, or damage to your spinal cord. Anything physical – so long as it does not move your neck – is a good thing when you have whiplash.
However, please remember to consult your GP about any physical activities you may be interested in doing, to ensure that you don’t cause further damage.
